


Moon Rise

by jedimonkeyspock



Series: Cosmos 'verse [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Kid Fic, M/M, Past Mpreg, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-04-22
Packaged: 2017-12-09 06:07:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedimonkeyspock/pseuds/jedimonkeyspock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After nearly four years spent wrongfully imprisoned in Azkaban, Sirius Black is released. What surprises are waiting for him at home?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> chapters are short. 
> 
> this was originally written about 3 years ago, but I cleaned it up a bit before posting. 
> 
> this is part one of a series, part two is currently a WIP about 60% complete, an older copy of which can be found on my ff. net account if anyone is interested.

**Chapter One:**

Remus shivered helplessly as he stepped inside the outwardly dilapidated Shrieking Shack. Despite the old building’s derelict appearance it was quite secure; fortified by several charms and powerful spells.

_Magic,_ he mused, _was a truly amazing tool. Or a truly devastating weapon…_

His tremors increased and he wearily removed his robes, worn material sliding easily off of thin, thickly scarred shoulders. Using a simple reducto charm coupled with a bit of transfiguration Remus shrunk his clothing to the size and shape of a brass thimble, placing it and his wand high atop the ancient brick fireplace and wedged in the convenient gap, found by Wormtail in 7th Year, between a stone and the bare wooden slats of the eaves.

Task completed Remus settled himself in front of the large, magically barred window and watched as the sun dipped below the green horizon, exchanging its dusty ember light for the milky glow of the rising moon. **

The silvery orb rose steadily to illuminate the darkened sky and Remus felt his eyes drawn with it. His pupils contracted, eyes flashing dangerous amber, before throwing his head back with a guttural scream. Legs giving out, Remus collapsed to the floor, boards creaked and swirls of dust were spewed into the still air with the force of his knees slamming against the hard ground.

Another scream chilled the air in the quiet streets of Hogsmeade as his entire body convulsed, blurred, and finally reshaped itself into the sleek brown form of a large male wolf. Jumping lithely atop an overturned table Moony gazed longingly at the moon outside the window and let loose a terrifying howl.

Not far off in the alley behind the Three Broomsticks a mangy black dog pricked up his ears. He was thin and his coat was matted and filthy, but he still cut a formidable shadow as he dashed across the magic-lit streets. Pausing for only a moment, the dog disappeared between some trees, a dark, wraithlike figure of man reappeared moments later in front of the rundown building, before melting back into a dog, sniffing cautiously at the air as it crept slowly toward the secret entrance.

The wolf ended his soul wrenching howl with an anguished whine and Moony tensed and growled low in his throat, springing from his perch he stalked down the blood stained corridor and into a common room littered with broken furniture, lunging purposefully at the intruder. As he brought his jaws down around the large mutt’s throat something made him pause. The animal stared straight into the wolfs golden eyes with an otherworldly silver gaze.

Something in Moony’s brain clicked on and he pulled his attack at the last second, playfully pinning the Grim to the floor and licking his face. The dog whined happily and nuzzled against his mate’s furry neck. Suddenly the large sable wolf reared back and fixed the animagus with a meaningful, intelligent stare; one that Sirius, for the life of him, could not interpret, and promptly nipped the black dog on the chin before taking off, a silver streaked brown blur in the dark surroundings of the shack.

Tongue lolling and tail wagging happily Padfoot jumped up in hot pursuit.

***

For the first time in 43 such occasions, Remus spent the morning after the full dozing in and out through the steady sunrise with no new injuries or scars. And as the last of the post transformation tension leeched from his thin frame Remus fell into a deep, relaxed sleep.

When he woke several hours later it was to his dimly lit room and a quietly reading Andromeda perched comfortably in the chair by his door.  She looked up with a smile.

“Well there you are at last sleeping beauty. We were beginning to worry.”

“I was tired.”

Remus replied simply, causing the older woman to bite back an amused smile.

“Well I should think that was obvious. How do you feel then love?”

Smiling and stretching slowly Remus inventoried his body before he decided on his answer.

“I actually feel pretty good. I had the most wonderful dream…”

Sitting up, Remus trailed off as he took in his bare arms. Confusion marred his pale features and he abruptly jerked his shirt over his chest starring in awe at his undamaged torso. Looking up he saw Andromeda barely concealing a grin, familiar grey eyes sparkling joyfully.

“Wha- Where is he?”

Outside Remus’ bedroom door Sirius Black was pacing in abrupt jerky movements as he debated whether or not to go in. His once tanned skin was sallow and hung from his long frame where his muscles had given way to starvation, his once lustrous, black hair hung limply about slumped shoulders, and his mouth was creased with new lines but his eyes were still bright and he exuded the same nervous energy that got him so many detentions when he mucked about in McGonagall’s class.

Suddenly the door was flung open and Sirius froze mid step.

“Moony I-“

The rest of his sentence was unceremoniously cut off when Remus’ fist slammed into his jaw, propelling him backwards as he lost his precarious footing. Before he could fully recover from the blow, Sirius found himself with his arms full of a sobbing, smiling, and half naked werewolf.

Remus buried his nose in the crease of Sirius’ neck searching out his familiar scent. His deceptively slim legs wrapped tightly around Sirius hips as he tried to climb into his lover’s body.

Falling against the opposite wall with a small grunt at their combined weight Sirius clutched desperately at the man in his arms. Silver eyes met gold before they dove against each other, lips clashing messily in a brutal kiss. Trembling fingers grasped for a more secure hold on Remus’ hipbones as Sirius heaved him up and stumbled slowly back through the door to Remus’ room, neither man noticing the absence of Andromeda or the subtle silencing charm encompassing them.

By the time Sirius had dumped Remus on the edge of the bed the smaller man already had Sirius’ belt undone and the loose jeans riding low on his hips. Pausing momentarily in his feverish kissing of Remus, Sirius pulled the tatty t-shirt over Remus’ tawny head, trailing his tongue wetly down the other man’s pale neck, causing him to shiver. Shoving Sirius’ borrowed jeans down to his knees, Remus dug his fingers into the other man’s arse, bruising the pale skin with the force of his grip.

Insistent hands pushed Remus’ boxers down past his hips and then warm, strong fingers engulfed both of their straining erections in a firm grip. They quickly found a rhythm, ignoring the way their hipbones collided with audible slaps. Teeth caught sensitive flesh and nails scraped blunt tracks in their skin as they drove each other higher and higher. Their mingled breaths sounded harshly in the unnatural quiet of the room, tongues meeting in sloppy open mouth kisses that left them both panting. Lust darkened eyes met with a tangible intensity as they each spilled over Sirius’ clenched fist.

Sirius groaned when he felt the first searing jets of Remus’ release coat his hand, his own rushing up to meet it, leaving them a sweaty, sticky, sated mess of warm limbs and quiet smiles. Coming back to his body after being shot into orbit, Sirius pressed a tender kiss to the top of Remus’ sandy head, noticing for the first time the liberal sprinkling of grey there.

Leaning back slightly, still reluctant to break contact with his lover, Sirius let his eyes trace the evidence of four long years spent transforming alone. His practiced gaze slid over old silvery scars to rest on the newer pink tinged lines crisscrossing his lover’s body before coming to rest on a particularly jagged scar below Remus’ bellybutton.

The white, only slightly puckered edges marked it as several years old but Sirius didn’t remember Remus having a scar there, and the angle of the mark wasn’t possibly self inflicted, even by the supple body of the wolf. Looking up sharply he searched Remus’ face for answers before his eyes were drawn to a modest picture frame sitting innocuously on the bedside table.

Having followed Sirius’ careful survey of his body, Remus self consciously shifted to pull the sheet over himself, eyes following to where Sirius’ were glued on the small wood frame atop his night stand.

Feeling his lover stiffen beneath him Sirius tore his gaze from the bewitching photo to stare into Remus’ hooded eyes before moving the sheet back off his abdomen to gently trace his fingers across the magically inflicted scar.

“Wha-“

His voice caught and Sirius stopped to clear his throat, peering at Remus with a question burning in his eyes. Slender fingers wrapped around his over the scar and Remus nodded toward the bedside table.

“Dani, er Danika,  she’s just turned three. That was at her party.”

Slowly, almost timidly Sirius crawled up his lover’s body, straining to reach the frame and pulling it closer, cradling it in shaking hands as he settled on his knees next to Remus.

He stared transfixed for several moments, taking in the details of the picture.

Remus was sat in a familiar looking high back chair, his eyes were tired but his smile was genuine and threatening to split his face in two. On his lap sat a small girl with jet black hair and amber eyes. She was also smiling widely, showing off two perfect rows of tiny baby teeth and matched dimples. Father and daughter, and it was obvious that they were- sharing the same colored eyes and posture, were both waving madly at the photographer. They continued to smile and wave for several moments, finally they looked at each other and grinned before the scene repeated.

“She’s absolutely beautiful Moony.”

He said at last, meeting his lover’s gaze. Remus gave him a fleeting smile, fidgeting nervously with the cuff of the sheets before blurting out;

“She’s yours. Ours, I mean. She’s ours. Danika Lupin-Black.”

Sirius felt the tension drain out of him with sudden relief. He’d suspected, he’d hoped; looking at the picture he had picked up on several familiar features, but hearing Remus say the words lifted a tremendous weight off his chest.

By the time his brain caught up with the situation Remus was beginning to worry about Sirius reaction. He was definitely not expecting Sirius to swoop down and take his lips in a passionate kiss, breaking off abruptly to blurt out the painfully obvious question of; “How?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN: I am aware that the moon can actually be seen in the sky throughout the day and does not rise as such, but I thought it lent a bit of dramatic imagery to the scene... yerp.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Roughly 3 ½ Years Ago…

Remus’ head swam as he attempted to stand and he quickly dropped back down on the corner of his unmade bed. His haggard face held a vacant expression as hot tears seeped from unblinking eyes and trailed salty tracks across his sunken cheeks, catching for a moment and glittering against the pale scars marring his unshaven jaw before gathering in the damp, stretched neckline of his ratty old t-shirt.

Wearily he pulled his knees toward his chest, hugging them as close as his slightly rounded stomach would allow. Remus bit his dry, cracked, lower lip hard enough to draw blood as he broke down into sobs once more.

Buried under a mound of wet, used tissues and discarded paper backs the muggle alarm clock ticked endlessly in the quiet of the darkened flat. Time never stood still.

Five months; it had been five months since his three best friends had died- murdered by the dark lord. Five long, empty months since his lover had been arrested, sentenced to life in Azkaban without so much as a trial. For five months Remus hadn’t transformed on nights of the full, and his body had betrayed him a different way; he was pregnant.

Pregnant with his lovers child, a murderers child- no, he mustn’t think like that. He had to believe that Sirius was innocent; that he wouldn’t, no he _couldn’t_ do that to their friends, to their baby, and to him. Every day since that horrible night in October Remus cried himself to a fitful sleep and when the first full since his friends’ deaths and Sirius’ imprisonment arrived he honestly hadn’t expected to live to see sunrise.

The wolf had lost its pack, Moony had lost his mate and nothing could ever be right again. But something amazing and terrifying and wonderful but terrible happened; he didn’t transform. He could remember sitting naked on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, starring at the rising moon with shockingly human eyes.

Tears of anger and joy, disbelief and awe had spilled down his pale cheeks as he stood on two shaky legs to gaze at the full moon. It was beautiful; this impossible thing, he was pregnant. And the timing was terrible, how could he ever do this alone? And it was wonderful, he had something to fight for, something of his lover to hold onto; a reminder of his life before this bloody awful war.

Though rumors of the Dark Lord’s defeat at the hands of Harry Potter- James would be so proud, insufferably so- had spread quickly, without their leader the Death Eaters had become unpredictable; attacking randomly and in the open. The war was far from over, and Remus knew his battles had only just begun.

Wizard or not, a pregnant men couldn’t exactly walk down the street unnoticed, especially a pregnant man without a partner. An unmated pregnant werewolf was unheard of. When they had first made the decision to start trying to get pregnant they had imagined being together for the duration, facing the scornful stares and awkward questions together.

Now, five months later, he was definitely still pregnant and still painfully alone, but the fight had begun to go out of him. He was just so tired.

The Healers told him it was normal to feel fatigued at this stage of pregnancy; it would pass just like the nausea and morning-but really all day-sickness of his first trimester. The Healers didn’t understand. He wasn’t fatigued, he was downright exhausted. The state of his tiny flat bore testament to the fact that most days he couldn’t even drag himself out of bed anymore, only making an effort when he knew someone was coming round. It wasn’t until someone decided to pop by unannounced that he was caught out.

***

Molly Weasely pecked her husband on the cheek, admonished her children to behave, checked Ronald’s nappy and set her shoulders before stepping determinately into the floo. Stepping out moments later into Remus Lupin’s unkempt living room she frowned, and resting a comforting hand on her baby bump attempted to sooth her daughter from the shock of travelling through the floo network, went in search of the flat’s owner.

She found him quite easily, curled up in a little ball on the corner of his bed, tear tracks staining his face where it wasn’t hidden by a mess of blankets and crumpled sheets.

“Remus?”

The form on the bed ignored her, curling more tightly around itself and pulling a discarded pillow over its face.

This just wouldn’t do. Taking a firm stance, hands on hips and feet set comfortably shoulder width apart Molly was an imposing figure, red hair framing her face with indignant tendrils of flame where it escaped her hairpins, mouth drawn into a thin line, and blue eyes creased with worry for her young friend.

“Remus Lupin, I know you can hear me! Now sit up this instant and march yourself to the bath. We are going to clean this flat top to bottom, starting with you.”

Her tone booked no argument so Remus slid slowly from the bed, using the wall to keep his balance when his equilibrium threatened to give out. Absently thinking that he must get Molly to teach him that trick, he ignored the pain in his chest that accompanied the automatic thought that it would have worked so well on Padfoot, and drug himself through the washroom to take a shower.

When they were all finished, sitting comfortably on Remus’ newly rediscovered couch, feet up on the coffee table enjoying a hot cuppa, he was glad they’d done it. While it had been a bit embarrassing when the older woman had unearthed a mountain of filthy socks and truly mortifying when she found a pink lacey thong and neon green dildo buried under the couch cushions it was nice to be able to see his flat again. Furthermore he had no doubts that he would be able to sleep that night, he was utterly knackered.  

The conversation between them had lulled to a comfortable silence that was broken suddenly when Remus let out a surprised gasp followed by his teacup clattering to the floor. Molly watched with a smile as he brought his hands to rest on his belly and a rare smile lit up his face.

“Merlin! She kicked!”

The older woman grinned happily, no matter how many times you got to feel your baby’s first kick it never stopped being _magical._ Quickly banishing the spilt tea and repairing the broken teacup with practiced ease-she had six sons after all- Molly winked teasingly at Remus.

“Better watch out Remus, I’ll wager you’ve got a beater growing in there!”

Remus chuckled, a welcome sound in the small, but thanks to Molly, tidy flat.

“No I think this one’s a chaser just like Si-“

The smile dropped from his face as he abruptly cut himself off.

Molly smiled sadly, it couldn’t be easy for Remus, losing his three best friends to his lover, finding himself alone and pregnant in a society that wished to be rid of him. And he still hoped for Sirius’ innocence. Despite herself Molly found that she was hoping for Sirius’ innocence as well, if only to spare Remus the heartache.

 He was such a caring young man, if not for his unfortunate ‘accident’ during his youth he would have made an excellent professor. While she would like to say that Remus’ being a werewolf didn’t bother her at all- and why should it? He was a decent, intelligent young man- Molly wasn’t entirely sure she’d be comfortable with her children near him come full moon.  It wasn’t Remus she was worried about, it was the wolf.

“Come to dinner tonight love, the kids have been asking about you, and good meal will do the both of you good.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics=flashback

**Chapter Tree:**

 

Remus blinked owlishly at his lover.

“Well if you don’t remember how it’s done Paddy I’m not sure there’s any hope for any of us.”

The effect was instantaneous; Sirius’ face darkened with something that scared Remus, his eyes became unfocused, lost in painful memory. When he finally spoke it was quiet and choked.

“You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve forgot Moony, or how much I wish I could.”

Any teasing dropped from Remus’ face as he hugged Sirius to his chest, murmuring words of apology in his tangled, sweaty hair. Sirius’ wiry arms tightened about his waist and Remus reciprocated, still whispering reassurances in his ear. They lay awkwardly twined together for several long moments before Remus attempted an explanation.

“It was after an Order meeting; Frank Longbottom had spilled pumpkin juice all over your favorite jeans and we left as soon as it was over. Lily was so annoyed that I didn’t stay and talk with her, but all I’d wanted was to get you home and peel you out of your clothes…”

Sirius closed his eyes as he pictured the scene. James was going through his flannel stage, every day was a barrage of new garishly colored plaid shirts. Remus would have been wearing his favorite jumper, which coincidentally was Sirius’ favorite at well.

It was older and well worn, with frayed cuffs and small holes along the waist where Padfoot had grabbed hold him- for Merlin’s sake, it’s not as if he’d done it on purpose, Remus was about to fall off the Quidditch bleachers after tripping over bloody James’s books- and was visibly faded. But it fit him to a tee, snug in all the right places, accentuating his slim hips and round arse.

“… When we apparated home I got there a few minutes before you and I was waiting in the bedroom…

_Sirius appeared in his quiet flat with a resounding_ crack _and peered around in the dim light cast by the streetlamps through the dirt streaked window- really should talk to that maintenance man about his cleaning crew-took two steps into the darkened hall and stopped dead in his tracks._

_There, spread out on their bed like a gift from heaven, illuminated by the soft florescence of the bathroom light, working two slicked fingers in and out of himself with obscene slowness, was Remus Lupin._

_Immediately his hands fumbled with his flies and Sirius tripped over his half removed pant legs in his eagerness to reach Moony on the bed, cursing aloud._

_‘Bloody fucking gravity! I swear it’s been out for me all day Moons!’_

_Remus smirked and raised an incredulous eyebrow, beckoning his lover closer with a single long digit. A single, long, lubed digit; which he promptly sucked into his mouth, prompting a pained groan from Sirius._

_‘Fuck Moony…’_

_‘That was the general idea love’._

_Sirius growled and climbed onto the bed to settle above the teasing werewolf, a predatory gleam in his silver eyes._

_‘Whatever you say Moons, whatever you say…’_

“I hadn’t been taking any contraceptive potions since we talked about trying, after Harry you were keen on the idea of being a dad yourself, so it had been a couple of months… anyway 8 ½ months later Danika made her grand entrance on the night of the full.

“She was this amazingly tiny thing, face all scrunched up and pink, with untidy tufts of fuzzy black hair. The healer handed her to me, and from the moment she grabbed my finger in her clammy fist, I knew it would be ok, as long as I had this one little piece of you to hold onto.”

Sirius had tears in his eyes when Remus finished speaking. Trying in vain to find his voice, Sirius held tight to his lover, silently pleading with him to understand the unspoken message. ‘I’m here love, I’m sorry, I’m here now.’

***

It was a while before Remus dragged them both out of bed and into the shower. Once there, they washed each other slowly, relearning the other’s bodies trying vainly to heal 4 years worth of hurts in the space of half an hour. Finally they dried off and redressed, knowing they couldn’t ignore reality for much longer.  

With a tired sigh Remus resigned himself to the task of asking the difficult questions.

“Sirius, how are you even here? I don’t understand how…”

Remus watched with trepidation as his lovers face darkened once more and realized with a start Sirius had misunderstood his question.

“Moony I realize- I realize things weren’t the best between us at the end, but bloody hell, I was sure you’d know I didn’t- I could never- James was my brother Moony!”

Remus held up a hand in silent defense.

“Don’t go jumping to conclusions Sirius! Merlin, you never listened to me then, I don’t know why I expected you’d suddenly start after four years!”

“Damnit Remus! We can’t do this! Please, not this time.”

Taking another deep breath the werewolf nodded slowly and began to speak softly.

“I always hoped you were innocent in the beginning, for Dani and Harry and for me, but it was just hope.”

Sirius made to interrupt but Remus stopped with a raised hand.

“It wasn’t- it wasn’t until I was at dinner with the Weasely’s, Molly was expecting a little girl the same as me, that I noticed something odd about Percy’s pet rat Scabbers. It was near full moon and for weeks I had been thinking he smelled familiar when I noticed Scabbers was missing a toe and it hit me. It was Wormtail. Living right under my nose that whole time!

 “He must have been hiding in the room and overheard when I spoke to Arthur about it later because he disappeared that night we couldn’t find him. I brought the new information to Dumbledore but he said without Pettigrew as proof no one would believe the werewolf, ex lover of a convicted murderer. I spent weeks chasing every lead I could find, until I almost lost Dani and went into premature labor, after that I had her to care for. But I never gave up in my heart.”

“I’m sorry Moony I shouldn’t have assumed… it was thanks to you after all that Wormtail was finally caught then”

 Sirius said, collapsing in a heap on the rumpled bed.

Remus gasped loudly,

“They caught Peter? When? Who? Sirius, what happened? Has the Ministry dropped the charges against you?”

“There planning a very public trial soon but yeah, I’m a free man, they brought Peter in three nights ago, that’s when Dumbledor rescued me. I would have come sooner love, but I was laid up in hospital. Someone bloody could have mentioned the fact that I’m a father!”

Remus lunged forward and caught him in a powerful hug, knocking back against the mattress.

“Oh Sirius, this is amazing news! But how? I mean who- I don’t understand, I didn’t know Dumbledor had sent another team after Peter, he said he’d tell me before the next one so I could go along, Dani’s old enough she can stay with Andromeda and Ted now...”

“He didn’t. I mean it wasn’t an official order mission. Sssshhp fnnndmm.”

The last sentence was so mumbled Remus couldn’t be sure what Sirius said.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that in English?”

Sirius heaved a dramatic sigh before he replied more clearly;

“I said, ‘Snape found him’.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

 

The look on Remus’ face made the comment superfluous but he said it anyway;

“Severus Snape caught Wormtail?”

He wanted to ask more, _how, why_? But the questions stuck in his suddenly dry throat.

For his part Sirius looked completely trapped and bewildered. What did he even _say_ to that?

They were both saved by an insistent knocking at the bedroom door followed by it bursting open under the determined glare of a hyper three year old.

Remus smiled.

Sirius blanched.

“Dani”

They both breathed at the same time.

Undeterred by the strange man laying half dressed in her father’s bed Dani scrambled up onto the rumpled duvet and launched herself at Remus.

“Papa!”

The little voice cried from where the girl had buried her face in Remus’ shoulder,

“Cousin ‘Dromeda wouldn’t lemme see you so we made biscuits with choco chips. I thought you got hurted again!”

Suddenly pulling back from where she’d latched onto her Papa’s neck Dani put her hands on her hips and fixed him with a practiced glare.

“Don’t never do that again! What if you’d needed me and I couldn’t opened the door?”

Despite the overall awkwardness of the situation Remus couldn’t help but laugh at the scolding tone of his three year old daughter.

“Sincerest apologies cub”

He replied, amber eyes twinkling joyfully. Dani’s frown waivered then turned to a smirk Sirius recognized immediately as his own, as she twined her arms back around Remus’ neck, pecking him on the cheek for good measure.

“Its ok papa, I still love you forever ok.”

Remus had to smile at that, stroking a gentle hand over her smooth black curls.

“Thank you cub. But listen Dani, look at me. Dani, do you know who this is love?”

Small amber eyes slid left to peer at Sirius before blinking lazily as they turned back to Remus.

“Yep. That’s daddy. I’m hungry Papa, are we gunna eat yet?”

***

An awkward silence had slowly surrounded the Tonks’s small table with four adults and two children crammed around it. Everyone seemed at a loss for what to say.

_‘Hey Sirius, how was Azkaban?’_ didn’t quite cut it in Ted’s mind anyway.

Andromeda was in a similar rut, not having seen her cousin Sirius since Dora’s sixth birthday party.

Sensing the tension in the air Dani was uncharacteristically quiet at dinner while Remus and Sirius kept sneaking furtive glances at one another. The only one who seemed unaffected was Dora. Her earnest questions, spaced out between the dull clinks of cutlery and glasses on the pine table were the only thing breaking the heavy silence that shrouded the meal.

_“Cousin Sirius, were you really an Auror?”_

_“Cousin Sirius, did you ever meet Mad Eye Moody? Is he really mad?”_

_“Cousin Sirius, I’m starting Hogwarts soon, what house do ya think I’ll be in?”_

“Cousin Sir-“

Finally Andromeda stepped in,

“Merlin’s sake Nymphadora let your cousin Sirius eat his supper! He’s had a long day love, you can pepper him with questions tomorrow after he’s had a bit of a rest.”

Dora scowled at being addressed by her full name but dutifully ate the rest of her dinner in silence. Sirius smiled thankfully and slowly brought another spoonful of potatoes to his mouth.

‘Eating’, he thought, ‘would take some getting used to’.

Close to four years of near starvation tended to wear on one’s appetite he supposed.

 Another glance at Moony confirmed that the other man’s plate lay as untouched as his own. A look in the other direction and Sirius saw that Dani also hadn’t touched her food.  She was slumped slightly in her booster seat, absently sucking her thumb while systematically squishing the peas on her plate with her spoon, one by one.

Sirius blinked. Was that normal? Well, as normal as any kid of his _could_ be.

‘Fucking hell Moony, I’m a bloody dad!’

Someone’s fork crashed against their plate as Sirius realized too late he’d voiced that particular thought out loud. He was even more mortified to find himself blushing pink as Dora stared at him in shock and some well placed awe- no grownup had ever said _that one_ in front of her before. _Ever._

Ted cleared his throat loudly and Remus hid a laugh behind his water glass. Andromeda recovered her breath from inhaling a bread crumb and Dani chuckled to herself in her chair.

“Daddy said a swear, Daddy said a swear!”

She sing-songed pleasantly,  

“Papa’s gonna put you in time out an wash you mouth out with soap for half a minute.”

Grey eyes crinkling with mirth, Sirius threw his head back in a deep barking laugh.

 He’d forgotten what it felt like to have a family, but he was willing to try this if they were. Whatever chances he was given to be a part of his daughter and Remus’ lives he would gladly take. This was what they had been fighting for; this is what James and Lily died for; the one thing that kept him mostly sane through absolute living Hell: his family.

END

TBC in Constellations


End file.
